When the body is expending more energy than it is consuming (e.g. when exercising), the body's cells rely on internally stored energy sources, such as complex carbohydrates and fats, for energy. The first source to which the body turns is glycogen (by glycogenolysis). Glycogen is a complex carbohydrate, 65% of which is stored in skeletal muscles and the remainder in the liver (totaling about 2,000 kcal in the whole body). It is created from the excess of ingested macronutrients, mainly carbohydrates. When glycogen is nearly depleted, the body begins lipolysis, the mobilization and catabolism of fat stores for energy. In this process fats, obtained from adipose tissue, or fat cells, are broken down into glycerol and fatty acids, which can be used to generate energy.[24] The primary by-products of metabolism are carbon dioxide and water; carbon dioxide is expelled through the respiratory system.

Growing numbers of Americans now have abdominal obesity (as measured by a large waist size), which puts them at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. Abdominal fat (also known as visceral fat) pads the organs and is more likely to lead to unfavorable changes in blood sugar and other heart risk factors. Some people are predisposed to larger midsections because of their sex, genes, or ethnicity. But a reduced-carbohydrate diet that avoids added sugar, white flour, and starchy foods may help; so can intermittent fasting and regular exercise. More »
Katie Foster is a mother and healthy lifestyle blogger for Running For Cookies. After struggling with being overweight her entire life, constant yo-yo dieting, and her weight reaching a high of 253 pounds, she decided to make a change for good when her weight prevented her from teaching her son how to ride a bike. Katie documents her 125-pound weight loss journey and her battle with mental health, along with healthy recipes, running advice, and motivation that helped her reach her goals and accept herself on her blog.

About: Kristina is a plus-size model with a mission: help women learn to love their bodies while working to exercise, eat right and live healthfully. But most importantly, Kristina’s blog is about exploring body confidence and “healthy curves.” Her blog is the perfect balance of encouraging healthy living and loving yourself at the same time. Plus, Kristina’s great about taking it outside herself. Every month, she features the “Curvy Girl of the Month” where she profiles other successful women.

You are thinking about changing your lifestyle and habits all the time. But you never seem to know where to start from. Well, how about trying to visit this blog in order to help yourself out? Meet Lori – she is hoping that her blog will be entertaining to you as the journey is to her. What she does is she basically documents her journey on her path of changing her lifestyle completely! She wants to create a different and a healthier body and way of living for herself. Her blog is the real deal – Lori carefully and thoroughly describes her dieting plan, exercising and how she manages to cook the meals herself in order to know what she is consuming. The best part of it all is that she describes how she deals with all the struggles and obstacles that come her way.
Dairy products contain varying amounts of lactose (milk sugar), which slows down weight loss. What’s more, part of the protein in milk generates a significant insulin response, which can have the same effect. Consequently, cutting back on dairy products may accelerate weight loss. This applies especially to dairy products typically lacking in fat, such as regular milk and various yogurts, but be careful with full-fat dairy such as cream and cheese all the same. And don’t forget whey protein powder, which is pure milk protein.
Fleury, N., Geldenhuys, S., & Gorman, S. (2016, October 11). Sun exposure and its effects on human health: Mechanisms through which sun exposure could reduce the risk of developing obesity and cardiometabolic dysfunction. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(10), 999. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/10/999/htm
The internal and external obliques, which I like to call "nature's girdle," are located at the sides of the rectus abdominis. They are the muscles you use when you bend sideways at the spine or twist at the waist. They also contract to compress the abdomen, so you should work them just as hard as you work the rectus abdominis. Adding a twist to crunches works, as well as dumbbell side bends, but be careful not to use any jerky motions, especially if you've had back problems.
A 2012 study also showed that people on a low-carb diet burned 300 more calories a day – while resting! According to one of the Harvard professors behind the study this advantage “would equal the number of calories typically burned in an hour of moderate-intensity physical activity”. Imagine that: an entire bonus hour of exercise every day, without actually exercising. A later, even larger and more carefully conducted study confirmed the effect, with different groups of people on low-carb diets burning an average of between 200 and almost 500 extra calories per day.
And maybe a new mattress, because it’s not just the amount of time you spend sleeping that keeps you lean, it’s also the quality of your sleep. Fat cells in your body produce a hormone called leptin that helps the body keep track of how much potential energy (i.e. fat) it has stored. But leptin is only produced during certain stages of sleep. Miss out on those stages because you’re not resting soundly enough, and you’ll disturb levels of the hormone, leaving your body with no real idea of its energy reserves. Consequently, you’ll end up storing calories rather than burning them.
The fad military diet consists of low-calorie, odd food pairings such as bun-less hot dogs with banana, carrots, and broccoli. “Any diet like the military diet that severely limits the amount of calories you consume or eliminates one or more entire food groups puts any individual at risk for nutrient deficiencies,” says Kyle. “This can be more harmful than holding onto those 10 extra lb you’re trying to lose.” (32)

If you are always on the run and tackle the streets of New York City every day, searching for an everlasting balance between your work and yourself, including your health, this is the blog you need to stop and take a good look at. After diving into a greasy and unhealthy diet and declined every gym membership card that got in her way, Theodora, the creator of this blog, decided to change all of that. So, she went on a search for a happier and healthier life, through her process, she lost about 50 pounds, and discovered a way how to stay fit and healthy while being in the heart of NYC. She started running, took up those membership gym cards, and followed a nutritious meal plan, she finally got to her goal. Now, she is working her dream job, still running through the streets of the Big Apple, and making it all work because she is fitter and healthier than ever before!

"Only doing abdominal-focused workouts, like crunches, won’t help you banish the bulge. Belly fat is simply where your body stores energy, so you need to take a whole-body approach to tackle it. HIIT training (high intensity interval training) is a great way to burn fat and get your heart rate up. Squats, burpees and treadmill sprints are all examples to try."

About: Jenny always knew that she wanted to be a motivational speaker one day — she just wasn’t sure about what. Then one day it hit her, people are the most inspired by people who understand what they’re going through. For Jenny, that had always been her compulsive overeating, body image and food addictions. Four years ago, she decided to change. She transformed her way of thinking and her blog was born, complete with recipes, tips and posts that are truly inspirational from a woman that gets what you’re going through.

14 ways to lose weight without diet or exercise Strict diets can be challenging to follow, and people may not always have the time or ability to exercise. However, a variety of simple lifestyle changes can help people lose weight and improve their health. These include taking probiotics, getting enough sleep, and thoroughly chewing food. Learn more here. Read now

Other diabetes medications. Insulin-releasing tablets (e.g. sulphonylureas) often lead to weight gain. These include: Minodiab, Euglucon, Daonil, and Glibenclamide. Tablets like Avandia, Actos, Starlix and NovoNorm also encourage weight gain. But not Metformin. The newer drugs Victoza and Byetta (injectable) often lead to weight loss, but possible long-term side effects are still unknown. More on diabetes

Protein serves a dual role in helping you trim down belly fat by increasing muscle mass and metabolism, while also helping stave off hunger. Research shows that a higher-protein diet increases thermogenesis, which means you burn more calories. Further, eating protein leads to an increased feeling of satisfaction after the meal, often causing you to eat fewer calories later in the day. These High-Protein Breakfast Tacos are the perfect way to start your morning and will keep you feeling full until lunch.
Don’t obsess over the scale. Yeah, it’s encouraging to track your number on a scale, but it can also be frustrating as hell — leading you to feel down on yourself. Remember that muscle is more dense than fat — meaning it’s heavier, but it takes up less space in your body. That stupid scale number is absolutely irrelevant if you are happy and confident with yourself and your progress.

Read something more about this amazing woman. Her name is Jen, she is a stay at home mom, happily married and has three beautiful young children. After giving birth to her second child, Jen went into a big depression, leading up to her gaining a bunch of weight. But, after she gave birth to her third child, a friend introduced her to an amazing workout which she could do from home and the process of change began. Within only a period of three months, Jen went from size 16 to size 4 – incredible, right? The pounds simply slipped away from her body. She loved the exercises, and changed her life completely through them. Furthermore, when she lost all that weight, she wanted to make some abs. The best way for her to do it was her kitchen, so she started exploring new meal options and created a dieting plan for herself that helped her achieve her goal. If you are interested in her story, her results and how to accomplish your goal, go to her site, she has all the answers for you!

Hi Chloe – I just read about your achievement in The Independent – you’ll soon be putting the ‘diet’ industry out of business!! But you might be interested in Mindful Slimmers – healthy mindset approach that focuses on maintenance as well as weight loss. I’d like to offer you – and any of your followers – a free trial. Let me know and I’ll give you a code.
About: It may be tough to tell by looking at her photo (complete with a very toned tummy), but Hannah’s no stranger to gaining weight. She packed on about 50 pounds each time she became pregnant with her two kids until she eventually went from a size 4 to a size 12-14. The pregnancies also changed her body and made her unhappy with the way she looked. Ready for change, Hannah created a fitness and food plan for herself, stuck to it and noticed she slowly but surely lost weight and started to look more and more toned. Now she’s studying to be a personal trainer, and her blog is a place she shares all her fitness tips, nutrition ideas and motivation to help others lose weight too.
There are many ways to do intermittent fasting — ranging from fasting for a number of hours each day up to an entire 24-hour fasting period one or two times a week. “If you're trying to kick a habit like eating late into the night, then stopping eating earlier in the evening and fasting overnight could be beneficial for you,” says Hultin. “There are many types of intermittent fasting, so ensuring you pick one that works for you and your lifestyle is important.”
By replacing some unwise food choices with healthy ones, you'll be cutting back on calories. If you add some moderate physical activity, you have the perfect plan for losing weight without the need for special or inconvenient (and often expensive) diet plans. It's also important to follow healthy eating guidelines in general, even after you have lost the weight. This should include sufficient amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals with limited amounts of fat and sugar.
Hi Chloe – I just read about your achievement in The Independent – you’ll soon be putting the ‘diet’ industry out of business!! But you might be interested in Mindful Slimmers – healthy mindset approach that focuses on maintenance as well as weight loss. I’d like to offer you – and any of your followers – a free trial. Let me know and I’ll give you a code.

Notes: Chop the sweet potatoes and halve the Brussels sprouts, and place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast at 450°F (230°C) until tender, about 15 minutes. Season the steak with salt and pepper. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cook the steak until done to your liking, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. (Consuming raw or undercooked meats may increase your risk of foodborne illness.)

What the expert says: ‘Paleo does promote the consumption of fresh ingredients over salty, processed meats. It also advocates a high consumption of fruit and vegetables, which is no bad thing. Research published in the journal Nature suggests that following this kind of diet can improve blood pressure, insulin resistance and cholesterol levels. That said, it is incredibly restrictive, and cutting out dairy, cereal foods and starchy carbohydrates will likely leave you low on fibre, calcium and iodine.’
Since we can’t spot reduce fat, the only way to ever get those flat abs is to burn body fat overall. For this reason, HIIT workouts, exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously (like push ups, squat thrusters etc.), and weight lifting are going to be the most effective fitness strategies for bringing out your six pack because they are the most metabolic. Hours of cardio and tons of crunches are not the way forward here.

Our gut microbiome controls far more than we give it credit for, which is why having your gut colonized with beneficial types of bacteria is so important. One way to do this is by taking a probiotic supplement. You can also make these 12 foods that boost good gut bacteria part of your everyday diet. Not only will this help you get sick less, feel happier, and ease digestion but it can also help you de-bloat, flattening out your tummy in the process. Try these home remedies to lose belly fat.

Cassey Ho, award-winning fitness instructor and Pilates teacher, is the creator behind Blogilates. It’s now the No. 1 fitness channel on YouTube. Her blog is an extension of that channel, where Cassey’s aim is to motivate and inspire readers. She does this by sharing monthly workout calendars and posts about clean eating and getting fit in a way that’s actually enjoyable. Visit the blog.